I think it's significant that this is the first book I have finished in a long time.
It's good, serious science fiction. With interesting thinking about where our algorithmically controlled social media future might be heading.
It's space war, but not like any space war story I've ever read. Definitely not "rah, rah, go humans!" stuff.
It's not one I'd recommend for every sci-fi fan. But if you're into Philip K. Dick or Harlan Ellison, this is worth a look.
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An avid sci-fi and fantasy reader who sometimes does historical fiction or even mainstream.
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David Scrimshaw rated The Expert System's Brother: 5 stars
The Expert System's Brother by Adrian Tchaikovsky
After an unfortunate accident, Handry is forced to wander a world he doesn't understand, searching for meaning. He soon discovers …
David Scrimshaw rated Children of Time: 5 stars
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Children of Time, #1)
A race for survival among the stars... Humanity's last survivors escaped earth's ruins to find a new home. But when …
David Scrimshaw rated The Doors of Eden: 5 stars
David Scrimshaw reviewed Providence by Max Barry
Review of 'Providence' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
David Scrimshaw reviewed An Orc on the Wild Side by Tom Holt
Review of 'Local Habitation (Toby Daye Book 2)' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
Ms McGuire's Wayward Children series is incredible.
After two volumes, I wouldn't rank the October Daye series so highly. But if you're into tormented private investigators connected to the magical world and you've read all the books and stories about Harry Dresden, it's not bad.
David Scrimshaw reviewed A borrowed man by Gene Wolfe
Review of 'A borrowed man' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
The narrator and protagonist of this book is a "re-clone". He is the clone with memory prints of a mystery writer. Now he is a "thing" with no legal rights who resides in a library and his continued existence depends on people consulting him or checking him out from time to time.
With this sort of world-building, I would have expected some sort of sweeping tale where the hero starts a revolution so that people like him get legal rights.
But no. He just does the best he can with the situations that come his way in the constraints he has.
His limited worldview reminded me in a good way of Martha Wells Murderbot.
David Scrimshaw reviewed A Borrowed Man by Gene Wolfe
Review of 'A Borrowed Man' on 'Storygraph'
5 stars
The narrator and protagonist of this book is a "re-clone". He is the clone with memory prints of a mystery writer. Now he is a "thing" with no legal rights who resides in a library and his continued existence depends on people consulting him or checking him out from time to time.
With this sort of world-building, I would have expected some sort of sweeping tale where the hero starts a revolution so that people like him get legal rights.
But no. He just does the best he can with the situations that come his way in the constraints he has.
His limited worldview reminded me in a good way of Martha Wells Murderbot.
David Scrimshaw reviewed A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
Review of 'A Local Habitation' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
Ms McGuire's Wayward Children series is incredible.
After two volumes, I wouldn't rank the October Daye series so highly. But if you're into tormented private investigators connected to the magical world and you've read all the books and stories about Harry Dresden, it's not bad.
David Scrimshaw reviewed Beyond the Dragon's Gate by Yoon Ha Lee
David Scrimshaw reviewed Network Effect by Martha Wells
David Scrimshaw reviewed A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Review of 'A Gentleman in Moscow' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
I've loved Mark Lawrence's other books so much that I now have to read all of them.
That said, I liked his others more. It might be because this one takes place mostly in underground caves and things seem pretty hopeless. I'm not a cave guy.
Review of 'The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice, #1)' on 'Storygraph'
4 stars
I've loved Mark Lawrence's other books so much that I now have to read all of them.
That said, I liked his others more. It might be because this one takes place mostly in underground caves and things seem pretty hopeless. I'm not a cave guy.